The MC1 Condenser tested by Nushock Studios

And what a step up! PRODIPE are offering a superb condenser mic for the price of a mid-range dynamic mic. But what is it about this mic that makes it so special? Well, first and foremost, it has the benefits of Ludovic Lanen’s experience as a sound engineer. Ludovic knows his mics inside out and has been our voice of wisdom for the whole PRODIPE range. And what’s more, at PRODIPE we set out to provide all our customers, us included, with quality products at an extremely reasonable price, and unbelievable as it may seem, we really have achieved this aim!

1) On my first evening I was DJ and MC at a disco in Collioure, a small town in the south of France. The DJ booth was 10 feet from the six main speakers, so the only way to make sure I could work and avoid feedback, was to lower the volume. The intelligibility of the MC1 Condenser mic was perfect - with this type of event I always use my BEYER mics (+10 db compared to other brands), but with the MC1 I had the same level of sound production (club sound).

2) On my second evening I was recording multiple vocals for a sort of comedy musical (it’s all the rage in France). Anyway, eleven people were singing on stage at practically the same time and my ground control for this event was a giant MIDAS 24-input mixer. There were 8 ‘Sennheiser’ wireless mics, 2 Beta 87A wired mics and the PRODIPE MC1 condenser mic. I know exactly what my regular mics can do, but I wasn’t sure about the MC1. Imagine my surprise when it was the MC1 that came out on top, way ahead of the others. The MC1 recording level was very comfortable, but it was how the mic outperformed in the overall sonic clarity that did it for me.

3) The next Sunday evening was a public meeting near where I live. I travelled light - a small audio console, 4 speakers on stands and 2 mics. I set up my jumble of equipment, attaching an MC1 Condenser mic with a Samson phantom power supply to the end of a boom. Each person was about 3 feet from the mic when they came to say their piece. The aim wasn’t to have a powerful sound; it was to make sure that the people at the back of the room could hear what was being said. The MC1 was as effective as ever.

At each of the locations the MC1 Condenser performed surprisingly well. There was just the right balance between the quality of the sound restitution and the clarity of the voice. It’s a great electret mic - no obvious drawbacks and yet the same advantages as its competitors.

This is what Ludovic Lanen has to say about it:

“For singers and instrumentalists, the MC1 Condenser gives studio quality on stage. A condenser mic has greater sensitivity, greater resolution and greater accuracy than a dynamic mic, giving you quality when you need it - on stage. The mic needs a 48 volt power supply.

I deliberately chose the mic settings for maximum voice performance and no sibilance (high-pitched whistling). For me, this was about creating a mic that was as outstanding as the hype. I also added a sophisticated anti-pop filter with 5 sizes of mesh grills to properly eradicate pops. And in case you were wondering, this mic offers an equivalent level of performance for instrument recordings”.